I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been a fan of wet noodle French fries soaked in oil. Ugh.

If I’m going to take the time to make home fries, they’d better be pretty darn good. These are amazing.

The key is to start with the right spud. I’ve found the firmer, white-fleshed sweet potatoes work best for these homemade fries. They’re the sweet potatoes with the light gold skin and pale flesh inside. The orange sweet potatoes with the copper-colored skin you’re probably more familiar with (sometimes called “yams”) are a bit softer and won’t fry up nearly as well for you. (You can quickly see the difference in the two potato varieties in the photo below.)

Once you’ve got your sweet potatoes peeled, just slice them up into French fry shapes that are all about the same size so they’ll all finish cooking about the same time.

Now pour about an inch of avocado oil into a 12″ or larger skillet. (Avocado oil is pretty much tasteless and has a very high smoke point, that’s why I recommend it for these fries.)

And yes, I know that’s a good bit of oil…but here’s the good news: these French fries cook up so clean, you can reuse the avocado oil. Just funnel it right back in the bottle and keep it handy for next time.

Next you simply heat up the oil and fry your sweet potatoes in small batches (you don’t want to overcrowd the pan). Keep an eye on your fries and turn them with your tongs while they’re cooking until all sides are golden brown. Place them on a wire rack or paper towel to drain, and immediately sprinkle with your favorite seasoning while they’re still hot so the seasoning will stick.

Give these a try the next time you’re craving a healthy fry, and let me know what you think!

Any seasoning mix of your choice (if you don't have a favorite, a good basic one is equal parts sea salt, garlic salt, onion salt, and paprika – stir together and sprinkle over hot fries)

Instructions

Peel and cut white sweet potatoes lengthwise into fries, all as close to the same size as possible.

In a 12-inch or larger skillet, heat about 1-inch of avocado oil to around 360ºF – use a clip-on thermometer if available. Alternatively, stick the handle of a wooden spoon straight down into the heated oil. If bubbles appear around the wood, the oil is hot enough to proceed.

Place cut fries in skillet. (Don't overcrowd – cook in batches!) Fry until golden and remove fries with tongs or a slotted spoon. Place hot fries on a wire rack or paper towels to drain excess oil and IMMEDIATELY sprinkle generously with your seasonings.